Lobbyists and analysts say congressional Republicans haven’t criticized President Donald Trump’s plan to base Part B drug rates on international prices because Republicans don’t know whether the administration is serious about the plan and they don’t want to get in the way of a good campaign issue.

CMS backtracked on a controversial proposal to overhaul how doctors are paid for office visits but finalized policies to expand telehealth services in the 2019 Physician Fee Schedule and Quality Payment Program final rule released Thursday (Nov. 1).

CMS on Thursday (Nov. 1) finalized changes for the next round of competitive bidding for durable medical equipment, as well as reimbursement rates for suppliers once the current round of competitive bidding ends Dec. 31 until the next round kicks in.

The federal DC district court again ordered HHS to clear the backlog of Medicare appeals, saying that since the department told the court it could clear the backlog in fiscal 2022, the agency should do so by the end of that year and provide the court with updates on its progress.

CMS on Wednesday (Oct. 31) finalized a 2.2 percent pay increase for home health agencies for 2019, as well as a redesign of the home health pay system for 2020 that will focus less on therapy and more on patient clinical characteristics.

CMS Administrator Seema Verma recently said the agency will soon reveal its thinking on whether Medicare providers should be required to share data with patients in a universal electronic format, and some health IT lobbyists think that requirement may be part of a rule on interoperability pending at the White House Office of Management and Budget.

CMS released a proposed Medicare Advantage and Part D rule Friday (Oct. 26) that would allow MA plans to cover more telehealth services and would streamline benefits and appeals for dually enrolled beneficiaries.

HHS Secretary Alex Azar on Friday systematically attacked drug manufacturers’ criticisms of the Trump administration’s plan to implement international price referencing for prescription drugs in Medicare Part B, saying despite strong denunciations, he does not think drug makers will play a “game of chicken” and walk away.

HHS Secretary Alex Azar on Friday systematically attacked drug manufacturers’ criticisms of the Trump administration’s plan to implement international price referencing for prescription drugs in Medicare Part B, saying despite strong denunciations, he does not think drug makers will play a “game of chicken” and walk away.

A key White House health care official called on Congress to undo changes it made to the Medicare Part D prescription drug donut hole earlier this year, siding with drug makers that are lobbying to unravel the change that increased the industry’s share of costs in the coverage gap.

A bipartisan group of nine House lawmakers is asking CMS to reconsider its proposals to cut the savings Medicare accountable care organizations can earn without taking on risk and shorten the length of time before ACOs must share savings and losses with the agency.

HHS Secretary Alex Azar on Thursday (Oct. 25) proposed that Medicare rely on foreign government drug price controls that two days earlier the White House Council of Economic Advisers compared to Leninism and Maoism.

The brand pharmaceutical industry came out swinging against the Trump administration's newly unveiled planto use an international pricing index to pay for physician-administered drugs in Medicare, likening the idea to price controls imposed by foreign countries with socialized health care.

Medicare pays double what other developed countries pay for Part B drugs, according to a report released by the administration hours before President Donald Trump is slated to deliver a speech on drug prices.